Easier Benefit Access

A provision in the 2009 Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization (CHIPRA) allowed states to electronically match records with Social Security instead of requiring applicants for Medicaid or CHIP to bring in their birth certificates to prove citizenship. Through Express Lane Eligibility (ELE) provisions states were also given more flexibility in determining eligibility through other program information. As of January 2012, 44 states were using the electronic data match with the Social Security Administration and 9 states had taken up the ELE for children option in Medicaid and/or CHIP. These early adopters report that this process simplifies enrollment, eases the burden on applicants, and saves money.